Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin today joined a coalition of 17 attorneys general in filing a lawsuit against the Trump Administration for unlawfully suspending two bipartisan grant programs for electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure that would reduce pollution, expand access to clean vehicles, and create thousands of green jobs.
Without any explanation or notice, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has quietly refused to approve any new funding under two EV charging infrastructure programs created in the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (IIJA): the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Program (CFI) and the Electric Vehicle Charger Reliability and Accessibility Accelerator (Accelerator) Program. In the lawsuit, New Jersey and the coalition allege that these unexplained actions violate the constitutional separation of powers, as the funding was approved by bipartisan majorities in Congress.
“Once again, the Trump Administration is clawing away money from our state and hurting our residents. Expanding our state’s network of electric vehicle chargers is a no-brainer, as it would create jobs, support economic growth, and reduce air pollution. Instead of supporting these commonsense investments, however, the Trump Administration is illegally suspending federal funding Congress has mandated,” said Attorney General Platkin. “Along with my fellow attorneys general, I look forward to restoring this funding so our states can keep building and repairing vital electric vehicle infrastructure for the benefit of our residents.”
In 2022, Congress passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Like the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program, the CFI and Accelerator programs are five-year programs created by IIJA for building or repairing EV chargers. USDOT and the Federal Highway Administration, however, have refused all new obligations of funds under both programs since the spring of 2025.
In 2024, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection was awarded $10 million in CFI funding for the construction of electric vehicle charging infrastructure near multi-unit residences and transit stops across the State. The New Jersey Department of Transportation was also awarded nearly $6 million in Accelerator funding to further modernize the State’s electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
Through its deliberate inaction, however, the Trump Administration has failed to follow through on these promises, harming New Jersey commuters, the state’s economy, and the environment.
The complaint filed today alleges that the Trump Administration’s refusal to spend the funds that Congress appropriated for EV infrastructure is unlawful because it violates the separation of powers and the Administrative Procedure Act. The programs were created by statute, and federal agencies have a duty to faithfully execute those statutes. The complaint asks the court to declare that the defendants’ actions are unlawful and to permanently stop the administration from withholding these funds.
Attorney General Platkin joins the attorneys general of California, Colorado, and Washington, which led the filing, as well as Arizona, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.
